Sunny Afternoon
The Chicago Shakespeare Theater offers an engaging experience that showcases the timeless works of the Shakespearean canon and a vibrant array of diverse plays and musicals. Recently, it has introduced a kick-ass rock and roll musical that captures the spirit of the iconic rock era, when music served as the heartbeat of American culture and where international groups relished the opportunity to perform and make it big in the United States. Based on the music of The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon is an electrifying production and a tribute to the power and passion of rock and roll. The two-hour and 40-minute production showcasing sibling and family drama, the trolls of success, and the mental breakdown of the soul are filled with powerful performances and infectious rhythms. American R&B and rock and roll influenced the Kinks, along with Skiffe, a genre of American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, forming their musical repertoire and making them international superstars. One of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s, the band rose to prominence during the British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat era and was briefly a part of the British invasion of the United States. Later, they gained a reputation for reflecting English culture and lifestyle by adopting British music halls, folk, and country fuelled by Ray Davies' observational and satirical lyricism. The bands had modest success, with several songs, but their rise to fame, including songs that hit the charts, "Where Have All the Good Times Gone, Set Me Free, Dead End Street, Till The End of the Day, Lola, This Time Tomorrow, it's #1 UK and international hit song, You Really Got Me," and the theme musical song, "Sunny Afternoon," with five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 and nine albums in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200—selling over 50 million records worldwide.
Sunny Afternoon featured the most audio speakers I've ever seen on a stage anywhere, including a heavy metal rock concert. The stage had wall-to-wall speakers, and during one scene, the sound was so powerful that Chicago Shakes even supplied ear protection. The cast features an excellent performance by Oliver Hoare, who played the ostentatious and energetic, swinging from a chandelier with a wild and carefree abandon, (Dave Davies), Michael Lepore (Peter Qualife), Kieran McCabe (Mick Avory), and an incredible performance by Danny Horn as Ray Davies, the lead vocalist, who would think in songs, singing out his thoughts with a remarkable talent for incorporating music melodies with amazing simple and natural, true-to-life lyrics; using a narrate of everyday struggles and triumphs in his life and the people within it. Enhanced with outstanding performances from Will Leonard, Ben Mayne, the two managers, Grenville Collins and Robert Wace, Sean Fortunato, former pop singer Larry Page, who became their third manager, Joseph Papke, John Carlin, and Ana Margaret Marcu as Rasa. With one of the finest stage harmony and singing you will witness at a musical, Sunny Afternoon continuously rocks with pure adrenaline. There is one scene where Horn, Hoare, Leonard, McCabe, and Mayne sing in flawless cappella that's in perfect pitch. In the pursuit of the perfect performance, guitarist Daniel Peters totally rocked out and unleashed his electrifying talent behind the scenes. Larry Page coined the name The Kinks, referencing their "kinky" fashion sense. Ray stated, "I've never really liked the name. The band even had Rod Stewart as their lead vocalist at one time. The group endured many struggles touring in the US, dealing with the Teamsters and the American Federation of Musicians, who caused issues with their performance and denied the group permission to perform at concerts. They also dealt with media issues, ultimately leading to a fight that banned them from touring in America.
After the two-act play, we witness Ray Davies suffering from a nervous and physical breakdown due to the pressures of touring, writing, and ongoing legal squabbles. Still, after reclaiming his unique writing skills, the single "Sunny Afternoon," a song that mocked the British Labour government's high progressive taxes, was the biggest UK hit of the summer of 1966, topping the charts and displacing the Beatles' "Paperback Writer."
Sunny Afternoon is one of those must-see musicals you must see!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Sunny Afternoon
Written by Joe Penhall
With an original story, music, and lyrics by The Kinks' legendary Ray Davies
Directed by CST Artistic Director Edward Hall
Now Playing through April 27 in The Yard
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